Vol. 99, No. 4December 15, 2011

275daystill the

Centennial

By Jana Warren

SCHOLARSHIPS

GRANTSADMIS

SIONS

T hinking about college and the chance of being independent for the first time can excite seniors. They believe nothing will hold them back from their future - until they remember one key thing - money.

Some students can get discouraged and intimidated about the amount of money it takes to put themselves through college. They start thinking of all the impossibilities and start to believe that they can’t earn enough money in time.

That’s not true.It is all about the now. Do it now.Seniors at this time should be past the point of finishing up

their applications and sending in recommendation letters. College admission and scholarship deadlines are looming, and the window of opportunity to get financial aid won’t

be open forever.There are many options for financial aid, but most have

limited time offers. Grants are money offered to students either through the government or private sources. Fellow-ships are given to students for either research or education and are awarded through private organizations, institutes, or the government.

Assistantships are similar to internships or work programs available during undergraduate years and require that a student works as either a research assistant or assistant teacher. Loans are given to students based on need and are required to be repaid. Scholarships are awarded either because of talents or academic excellence. There are numer-ous scholarships issued to students each year. To find out if

you’re eligible for either one of these types of financial aid, ask your counselors or go to scholarship or college websites that have more details about certain types of financial aid.

The easiest way to find out more about scholarships and financial aid is by asking.

Resources include guidance counselors who can pro-vide information about scholarships, as well as upcoming deadlines for other financial aid such as FAFSA. Senior counselor and guidance director Dr. Vernita Robinson is located in the Arsenal.

The next best resource and the one that can be the most important is asking the admissions office of the college you

FAFSA

DEGREE

S

SAT/ACT TESTING

APPLICATIONS

DEADLINES

SAVINGS

INDEPENDENCE

Are........you.........

READY?

Graphic by Kamen Rose

The college clock is ticking

See COLLEGE page 2

Tech Beats No. 3 Irish in Thriller - Pg. 6

2NEWS

www.cannonline.wordpress.com

Dec. 15, 2011

For seniors, FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is similar to income tax forms - there is no way to avoid filling it out - especially if you want the money.

FAFSA provides an opportunity for students to receive financial aid while in col-lege. The federal form must be completed by the student and parents to be eligible for any type of financial aid.

Students can log onto www.fafsa.ed.gov or fill out a paper application.

Before the application can be filled out, a student will have to apply for a pin number. All information on the FAFSA will be pro-tected, and will only be sent to the schools the student requests.

It is important that the FAFSA application be completed on time. Students will not be eligible for scholarships, grants, work-study or loans if it is not submitted by the dead-line.

After the application has been reviewed, the college then decides on a Financial Aid Package and the student is the only person who will receive this information. Remem-ber, FAFSA is a free application for federal student aid and help is available online and from the senior guidance office on campus.

FAQ’S:Do I have to fill out a FAFSA every • year?: Yes, most financial aid offices require that you apply for financial aid, by completing the FAFSA application, every year. How long is the FAFSA process?: • The FAFSA financial aid process can take anywhere from a few weeks to two months, depending on when you apply. The sooner you apply, the better. How can I check the status of my • FAFSA application? You can check the status of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) immediately after submitting it online. You can check the status of a paper FAFSA after it has been processed (roughly 7-10 days from the date mailed).What are the final steps of the • FAFSA?: Once you’ve filed your FAFSA, the information is sent to the Depart-ment of Education. Using their formula, they’ll compute your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC, and mail it back to you in a report called the Student Aid Report, or SAR. which will have details of what federal financial aid, if any, you are eligible to receive.

Are you worried about going to college not having any extra currency? While most students are attending college, they don’t really have any spending money. The majority of the students who don’t have spending money, are usually stu-dents who are paying for college out of their own pocket.

Another issue is that most people never learned about managing money. “Money management” is a big skill that everyone needs to learn at an early age.

After high school students get their first tast of being on their own and can get into trouble with budgeting and spending habits.

Following are some tips to get you on track:

1) Joining a credit union is a good idea. Try to avoid banks that entice people into opening accounts by offering free give-a-ways.

2) Credit cards can be a hazard if you don’t need it. If you don’t have the money to pay back what you spent, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

3) When you see something that you want, don’t buy it unless you plan to pay with cash that you had saved up for that item. The only debt that you should have

is in school loans. Luxuries can wait. Sav-ing up cash will help instead of putting it on a credit card.

4) If you have any kind of bills, try to al-ways pay them on time. That will increase your credit and also maintain the manage-ment of your money.

5) When you buy things, keep track of what you spend.That can prevent you from overdrawing your bank account. Overdrawing your account causes you to get even further behind with fees and penalties.

6) When you get into college, buy used books or rent them. They will get sold back when you finish your term.

7) Never hang out with people who have expensive tastes. That may also get you into trouble.

8) Having a car your freshman year could be a bad idea. You have to pay for gas, car maintenance, insurance and student parking.

9) Instead of going out on a Friday night, take advantage of the free activities on campus or cheap events like athletic events.

10) Attend each and every one of your classes and get your money’s worth for your education.

By Cherese Taylor

College Continued from page 1

Get your money’s worth for college with smart spending habits FAFSA is key to financial

aid eligibility in college

plan on going to. College Goal Sunday is another chance that seniors should take advantage of, whether they have issues about finance or just want to know more about available financial aid. During College Goal Sunday parents and students are able to have access to answers that other sources are unable to give. The next College Goal Sunday will be hosted at various loca-tions in the city on Feb. 12, 2012.

If you know someone who is in college or just graduated, use them as a resource. Someone who’s recently been through what you’re about to go to through can have a better under-standing of recent financial issues, and they can give you better advice on how to deal with the now.

Explore all options when it comes to financial aid sources. Look online and ask the school you intend on going to, but what some students might not know is that almost every organi-zation gives out scholarships. Churches, clubs, your jobs as well as your parents’ job and even alumni often have funds dedicated to benefit graduating seniors.

When students search for financial aid, they have to understand how to decipher scams and find good resources. Some sites that guarantee the best for you might not be the best for any-one.

“Students should avoid financial aid sites that have you paying companies to guarantee money,” Robinson said.

If a website asks you to pay for their help, it’s a scam. No legitimite financial aid site will ask for anything in return. Scholarships are made to benefit you only and will not ask you to do the same for them. That doesn’t mean that you should stay away from scholarship websites all together, because the most helpful information can be found online sometimes.

“Do your research, don’t get caught up in scams, be patient, apply to everything and any-thing,” Robinson said.

Some financial aid that should be seriously considered might mean going into debt in the future, such as loans.

“The advantages of loans are that you get the money,” Robinson said. “The disadvantage is that you have to pay it back and you might get into debt because of interest.”

Whatever the case, students always have the opportunity to receive financial help, and doubt shouldn’t keep them from applying. No matter what their situation is, they won’t be denied financial help.

There are programs, scholarships, and grants that are designed to fit individual seniors who aren’t as financially stable as others, such as 21st Century Scholars.

21st Century Scholars is a program that students who are on free or reduced lunch are able to enroll in during their seventh and eighth grade years. During the time of enrollment, after a student and parents fulfill a pledge of good citizenship, it is determined if the student is finan-cially eligible. Once it is determined you are eligible, you are guaranteed to receive up to four years of undergraduate tuition at any participating public college or university in Indiana.

However if seniors decide to attend a private or an independent institution, the state will award an amount comparable to the amount of a public institution. For those who decide to attend a private career school, the state will award a tuition scholarship equal to that of an Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

The scholarship amount may be reduced depending on the availability of funds and the avail-ability of the student’s family to contribute to college.

By Ti’Mika Peeples

FAFSADeadlines:

State: March 10, 2012 midnight, Central Time Corrections deadline:March 15, 2012

Federal: June 30, 2012midnight, Central TimeFor renewal FAFSA on the Web and applications.

•Corrections on the Web forms must be submitt ed by midnight Central Daylight Time, Sept.15, 2012.

CHECK IT OUT!Seniors: look at bulletin board in the cafeteria and outside the counselors’ offi ces for the lat-est college news.Send copies of scholarships seniors have been granted to counselors.Check for updated Titans Treasures scholar-ship information.

HELPFUL SITES:Scholarships.comFastweb.com Nelnet.net: Scholarship and fi nancial aid resourceBlackstudents.blacknews.com: Scholarships and grants informationGmsp.orgHispanic Origin: Hsf.net

Dec. 15, 2011 NEWSwww.cannonline.wordpress.com

Dec. 15, 2011

The first time James Davidson overdraft-ed on his account was his senior year at the prom time.

This is what made him go into financial literacy as a career.

“I remember adding wrong or forget-ting to borrow a one,” said Davidson, the manager of the Finance Center Federal Credit Union on campus.

It’s unusual for a high school to have a credit union. Tech is one of three in Indianapolis. The Finance Center at Tech started about three or four years ago, and since Tech’s credit union branch has about 500 members, including staff and students.

“When I was 16, my father opened up my first bank account,” Davidson said. “When I graduated from high school, my father paid for my college, while I had to pay for my room and board and food.

This led me to manage my money; if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have had anything to eat’.”

Davidson is in charge of the Finance Center Federal Credit Union that is locat-ed on Arsenal Tech’s campus. Davidson considers himself a “personal banker.”

“Personal one-on-one time leads many people to trust me and overall be happy with their account,” he said.

Davidson teaches students how to manage and save money, and get ready for college, focusing on the student’s finance and helping them prepare for the future. Davidson taught economics in IPS for more than a decade. He believes that opening a bank account is a good thing, especially when you are heading for col-lege.

“I try to teach kids how to manage mon-ey. If you manage money, this can lead to economic growth,” Davidson said.

Davidson’s goal is to reach out to the

students when they are freshmen and by their senior year they will know how to manage their own money.

“I have a plan set up to help you save your money better. I call it the Christmas saver plans,” Davidson said.

Students start saving in January and every month until December they deposit a set amount.

”By the time Christmas comes, you can take some out and enjoy yourself,” David-son said.

Anyone can open an account, however, if you’re under 18 you need your parent’s consent, which would add them to your account though they won’t be able to ac-cess the money.

Students can open an account with a minimum of $5, and once the student opens the account, Davidson will add $25. Students can have an ATM card if they’re 18 and older, but it’s rarely given out be-cause this program is focused on savings.

By Trevor Tauberschmidt and Maekla Modlin

Learning means money in the bank at the Finance Center

Keep ItPostedLast day for students, Dec. 22. Last day for

staff, Dec. 23.Merry Christmas!

Second semester

begins Jan. 9.

Faculty Musical

Jan. 27, 28

Fall semester grades due Dec. 23.

Madrigaldinners Dec. 16, 17, 18

Winter

Talent Show

Dec. 20

James Davidson, left, ex-plained how the Finance Center Federal Credit Union on campus helps students understand about savings and finance and gives them an opportunity to save money during a recent inter-view with Cannon reporters Maekla Modlin and Trevor Tauberschmidt, below. To open an account, a student needs to deposit $5 into their account. Davidson talked with DiQuan Williams about the procedures (bottom left). After opening an account, Davidson will match an extra $25 to the account.

Cannon editors, producers and report-ers prefer to stay behind the byline and credits. But at the Fall National Scholastic Press Association, 10 staff members took center stage in a variety of journalism competitions.

One senior, online editor Ashley Bal-lard emerged with an Excellent rating in Yearbook Copy and Caption Writing in the Journalism Education Association’s write-off event..

“I was really excited when I won the award,” Ballard said. “I didn’t think I would win anything, but when I won the award I was shaking and nervous, but happy at the same time.”

Just to show how tough it was for Ballard to win in this competition, there were 1,678 participants. Only 669 students won an award. Each competi-tion category is split into three ranks, the highest award is the superior, the second is excellent and the third is honorable mention. At this most recent fall con-vention Nov. 17-20 in Minneapolis,119 students ranked superior, 217 students

ranked excellent, and 333 students ranked honorable mention.

Ballard was the only IPS student to place in the competition and one of only a handful in Marion County.

“I took a class in caption writing before the competition so I would be prepared because I never written yearbook copy or caption before,” Ballard said.

Ballard used both techniques she learned from her journalism teacher Donna Griffin and at workshops in Min-neapolis.

“It was hard for me because I didn’t know how to go about writing it but as soon as I started writing the words started to come on their own,” Ballard said.

Ballard’s winning topic was about homecoming week where a fictional school held events to support one of the teachers who had breast cancer.

“The attention is a little embarrassing because I’m not one of those people who try to be out in the spotlight all the time,” Ballard said. “But I like that people know I can do something useful.”

Cannon journalist winsnational writing award

Dr. Martin Luther King Day - No schoolJan. 16

3

Photos by Diamonte Jones, Mario Sledge and October Kniess

By Tiara Sherrell

Tech journalists enjoy the snow after a conven-tion workshop (top): Dominque Sims, Kamen Rose, Jana Warren, Robert Sherrell, Roddell Felder, Kaylin Warren, Marcus Anderson, Prin-cess Kimbrough and Ashley Ballard (front). At the airport in Minneapolis (above); with mem-bers of the Hays High School staff from Kansas (below); Vivian Bell, Anderson and Sherrell strike a pose; Sherrell, Anderson and Felder with Amanda Bankson, a senior at the University of Minnesota and a former student of Cannon adviser Donna Griffin; the staff with Ballard after the awards cermony; Felder, Sherrell and Jana Warren earned their wings after their first flight; Ballard with her award.

The ATHS Alumni Association is launching a ‘Thirty for Thirty Committee’ inviting all Tech High school graduates from the last 30 years to join by early 2012. If in-terested, contact Ray Allison (’92)at rayallison@hotmail.com.

For centennial event in

for-

mation, contact C

indy Lewis

Hartshorn, email: h

artshoc@

ips.k12.in.us or B

eth Aubrey

Meyer, email: m

eyerb@ips.

k12.in.us. A

lso to re

quest a

registratio

n packet for th

e

Centennial Celebratio

n,

contact the Centennial C

om-

mittee, email: t

echcenten-

nial2012@gmail.com.

Video of the Month:All I Want For Christmas Is You

Song of the Month: Mistletoe

Movie of the Month:New Year’s Eve

Highest-Rated TV Showof the Month

Mistletoe by Justin Bieber is self-explanatory for what happens under the mistletoe - we all know. This song’s Christmas theme is dedicated to all the couples out there who will celebrate Christmas together. It’s on J.B.’s new album released this month. You should listen to it with your significant other.

Album of the Month: Michael Buble’ Christmas

This Christmas album sold over 1.5 million copies in the first week and was labeled by Rolling Stone as the Album of the Year. Buble’ put much anticipation, thought and Christmas spirit into his songs. The album was released Dec. 2 and if you haven’t heard it, go get it NOW!

T.I. & Tiny – This show is automatically one of the highest-rated shows due to T.I’s final release from jail and the publicity surrounding his imprison-ment. The world premiere of the show aired on VH1 Dec. 5. It’s labeled T.I. and Tiny The Family Hustle, simply because it’s a reality show about T.I and his wife and all they are going through. If you missed the premiere, the show airs Mondays on VH1 at 9 p.m.

This movie consists of MULTIPLE stars, such as Halle Berry, Ludacris, and Zac Efron. That’s just to name a few famous, familiar faces. This is the most anticipated, funny, holiday-spirited movie of the year. New Year’s Eve was released Dec. 9 - you will enjoy it - so go see it NOW!

Mariah Carey’s classic Christmas song Ft. Justin Bieber deserves video of the month simply because this video is beautiful. Yes, it is also a commercialized video for Macy’s, but who hasn’t shopped at Macy’s before? This video includes Bieber and Carey in a Christmas duet. It’s a nice video and if you haven’t seen it, go see it NOW!

This month is specially dedicated to the fast-approach-ing Christmas season. Since this is the last newspaper of 2011, this edition of High 5 is full of holiday spirit

and the variety of music that is being played today. I hope everyone has a beautiful Christmas and gets everything they want. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to my peers and teachers.

Graphic by Donneisha Squires

4ENTERTAINMENT

www.cannonline.wordpress.com

Dec. 15, 2011

Fall play tells a ‘somewhat true tale’

By Corey Tibbs, Jr.

HolidayTop Picks

Theater and drama students added a touch of humor with the Fall Play production of “The Somewhat True

Tales of Robin Hood,” a comedic look at the classic story, Dec. 2 and

3 in the Forum.

Photos by Alexus Scott

T.I. & Tiny The Family Hustle

2011 IHSPA Hoosier Star Merit Award Winner

Support Cannon Student Publications through advertising

693-5300, ext. 6314 or email:

Marketing Manager Kamen Rose kamen.rose@gmail.comorAdviser Donna Griffin at griffind@ips.k12.in.us

Abolish the symbol of a harsh history

The Cannon is a public forum of speech that is produced by the students of Arsenal Technical High School once a month. Bylined columns represent the writer’s opinion, while editorials are de-signed to persuade, warn, criticize, inform or inspire. Letters to the editor must be signed and may be edited. The editorial board reserves the right to refuse any letter or advertisment that is not in the best interests of the school. All editorials are the opinion of the editorial board unless otherwise stated. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, newspaper staff or journal-ism adviser.

Editor-in-Chief:Jana WarrenOpinion Editor: Robert SherrellAdvertising Manager: Kamen RoseOnline Editor Ashley BallardSports Editor: Vivian BellGraphics: Kaylin WarrenPage Design: Donneisha Squires

STAFF WRITERS ANDPHOTOGRAPHERS: Princess Kimbrough, Andre Poole, James Sherrell, Tiara Sherrell, Dominque Sims, Deanna Talley, Makeala Mod-lin, Easzira Mason, Corey Tibbs, Jr., Donald Mosley, Dajuan Venerable, Devonta Washing-ton, Alexus Scott, Lashawna Avery.

1500 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46201

OPINIONwww.cannonline.wordpress.com

Dec. 15, 20115

By Robert Sherrell

By Tyler Kniess“Was happenin’, nigga?” is a phrase I come

across at least daily as I traverse the impover-ished neighborhoods of urban Indianapolis. To me, the usage of the word (more formally referred to as “The N-Word”) carries far fewer implications than what the New York City group “Abolish the N-Word” seems to perceive. In fact, this group of African American commu-nity activists professes that “every time you say it you release the spirit of hate into the world,” and that its usage displays “a total disregard for (the Civil Rights) movement.”

This group further argues that the word’s origin and history should be reasons enough to never speak it enough. While I disagree with al-most every conclusion they draw, I can certainly agree that the word (in any of its various forms) carries many painful implications and has a deeply grotesque past. However, any attempt made to ban the word from its usage would not only be unrealistic, but unwise. This word serves as a potent symbol for the black commu-nity’s emergence from a horrendous past.

This past, a past of racism, slavery, and inhu-mane treatment was truly not so long ago. The generation of blacks who survived the Civil Rights movement has borne a new generation. Blacks today have transformed the word “nig-ger” into a weapon, disempowering the racism which spawned and bred in the years leading

up to this movement. Ironically, what was at one point used to oppress and “bring down” the African-American community is today being employed as a weapon against racism, a hand used by the modern black community to pull its brothers and sisters up out of the painful horrors of their memories. A black man calls his friend “nigga” to remind him that the days of de jure bigotry are over, and that he is free to live his life however he chooses. “Nigger”, as a word, has morphed from a hateful slur to an esoteric symbol of brotherhood.

Martin Luther King, Jr. might disagree with me on this. In his “Mountaintop” speech, he metaphori-cally describes the peak of a mountain where children play together regardless of race ad color. These children are innocent and unspoiled by racism and therefore have no preju-dices. King would want the word “nigger” to never be spoken again. His dream is that we might forget our racism and progress toward an innocent future. However, this dream is unrealistic, because we, unlike the mountaintop playmates, have known prejudice

and racism since we were born, and abolish-ing the verbal symbol of the Civil Rights move-ment would never return us to this innocence. Perhaps an environment which more closely resembles our current situation is not a moun-taintop, but a snowy tundra. We have certainly moved far away from the place where we once played in terms of racial equality, but we will never be able to erase our footprints. The word “nigger” has left footprints which will scar our

memories forever, and there is nothing we can do to forget the pain of the past.

In fact, even it were plausible to eradicate this word, it would not put an end to racism. Ban-ning the word would never eradicate bigotry

and prejudice because this “spirit of hate” which is supposedly being released into the world with its every utterance would never die out just because the N-word was ripped from our vocabularies. Removing the word “nigger” from a man’s tongue will never remove it from his mind. The true spirit of hate is grounded in the minds and hearts of the racists of our coun-try, and abolishing the N-word would never destroy such a spirit.

All in all, I agree with “Abol-ish the N-Word”, that the word carries a deep and hateful past. I agree with MLK that we should be able to live harmoniously together in spite of our differ-ences. However, the utopian society which King described is a goal which our own society will never be able to reach by abolish-ing the word “nigger”. We must embrace this word with all its ups and downs. Even if we were capable of abolishing the N-Word, it would be unwise to do so. The

word reminds us of our past mistakes, and gives us hope for a brighter future. If anything were to “release the spirit of hate into the word”, it would be to forget this word and allow our shameful history to repeat itself.

“We have certainly moved far away from the place where we once

played in terms of racial equality, but we will never be able to erase

our footprints.”

“What’s up, my nigga?” is one of many greet-ings I overhear in my community. I look around and observe that not only blacks use this greet-ing with one another, but whites also apply it among themselves. Is this moral? A group called “Abolish the N Word” would respond that using the term “nigga” would “release the spirit of hate into the world.” I am fully in accord with the group’s protest because using the N-word gives an undesirable con-notation toward being an African-American. Those who continuously use the N-word seem ignorant, because they disregard the true meaning and severe history that haunts the word.

If people enjoy using the N-word to label themselves or others, then they should consider the type of image it portrays. For example, compare the image of a “nigga” to an image of an “African-American.” If you asked me to visualize a nigga, one would have a disheveled appearance, such as rag-gedy clothes and unruly hair. Also, their speech

may be slurred or inadequate. In other words, when calling your friend the N-word, you are implying that they are similar to a slave. Essen-tially, a nigga does not look like someone who qualifies to improve society. On the other hand, an African-American has an elevated con-notation; I can imagine a successful, neat and

well-groomed person, someone who would endeavor to receive an education or maintain a job in order to remain financially secure. In general, people should not be satisfied with calling each other the N-word, as it portrays an

unappealing and under-qualified image.Indeed, I have listened to the opinions of

those who accept the N-word. While the term does have an unappealing connotation and harsh history, the users of the word feel that they have eliminated such a background from the term. For example, they would proclaim

that in the greeting “What’s up, my nigga,” the N-word is not degrad-ing, but is synonymous to “friend.” Basically, they neglect to acknowledge that the N-word was once uttered by white slave owners to their slaves in order to deliberately dam-age their self-worth. They overlook the fact that dur-ing the Civil Rights Move-ment, the N-word, along with other menacing activities, would reinforce the discrimination and seg-

regation that African-Americans struggled to defeat. To those who fancy the N-word, think of someone in your community who would be grieved and aggravated to notice you using the N-word in lighthearted conversation. I am

sure that your preachers, your coaches and even your grandparents would be agitated to hear such conversation, since they understand that the word was once exercised to oppress a mass of people. As they know that the past generations of African-Americans were suffo-cated with racism and stabbed with the hatred of the N-word, it is sensible to feel this frustra-tion toward the youth who use it. So why would someone use a term that recalls such a spiteful past to greet a friend? Sadly, it is the fault of neglectful, insensitive people who do not fully understand what they state. Overall, everyone must collaborate to abolish the N-word; this would not only solidify the apprecia-tion toward past generations, but it would be a constructive stance on how they want society to improve the view of African-Americans.

In conclusion, if I had the authority, I would ban the N-word completely, as applying the word in conversation portrays an unattractive attitude toward African-Americans as a whole. Furthermore, incessant use of the N-word is not only moronic, but disrespectful to past generations of African-Americans who have endured the cruelty of the word. The people who use the N-word need to recognize the past in order to improve the community and its future.

By Briana Metzger

Ignoring the term denies progress

“I am sure that your preachers, your coaches and even your grandparents

would be agitated to hear such conversation, since they understand that the word was once exercised to oppress

a mass of people.”

T o some, the “N-Word’ may mean friend, to others it may mean black slave. Its multiple meanings come from the user’s ethnic back-ground or cultural standards.

A word with as much variety as the “N-Word” can have whatever meaning and have as much hatred or love as its user intends to have in its utterance, and herein lies its power.

People often fail to realize that we are responsible for giving words their power, and the meanings we choose to personally associate with them are often regarded as truth due to our close relationship with the word.

Those either for or against using the “N-Word” should respect the right to have an individual meaning that relates to personal preference and not exacerbate old wounds.

The power within words

Graphic by James Sherrell and Kamen Rose

The NBA lockout is finally over and we can let the games begin. The NBA season will begin on Christmas Day and consists of five games: Boston Celtics at New York Knicks; Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks; Chicago Bulls at Los Ange-les Lakers; Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors. The lockout was no doubt a war over money and

the owners were clearly the winners of the settlement. The owners will gain $3 billion for the next 10 years. The owners also got their way on every other big issue such as, revenue shar-ing, luxury tax, and the split of the BRI (basketball related

income). This doesn’t mean the play-ers didn’t get anything; they won on smaller issues such as minimum team salary and escrow. But the owners had all the leverage and used it to get 90 percent of what they wanted. The season will feature 66 games, and since the schedule is shortened, younger teams will have an advantage because some teams will have to play three non-conference games and every other non-conference team once. This will make the playoff race very interesting this year and every game is more valuable than ever before.

Tech wrestlers in top 20

SPORTSwww.cannonline.wordpress.com

Dec. 15, 2011

This year’s wrestling season has been nothing short of exciting.

The Titans, led by recent Indiana Coach of the Year Nicholas Hull, have been working hard on the mat, despite the various obstacles in their way. With construction to Tech’s campus, the wrestling team has had to practice at another facility since the beginning of year, and has had a string of injuries that have hindered the lineup.

Still, with all of this, Arsenal Tech currently has three wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of the state: sophomore Deondre Wilson is ranked 10th at 106 lbs., junior Robert Duncan is currently ranked 12th at 132, and senior Charlie McGin-ley is ranked 14th at 126.

“Again, this season is all about influencing the culture here at Tech and establishing our identity as a program,” Hull said. “We have a long way to go to bang with the elite programs in the state, but we’re closer than many realize.”

After several tournaments, including the John Hurrle Memorial, the Cathedral and North Cen-tral invitationals and a dual meet with Yorktown

(ranked 3rd in the state), the Titans are gearing up for the City Tournament Saturday, Dec. 17 at Tech.

After the City Tournament, the wrestling team will participate in the Greenwood Holiday Tour-nament over break, along with a dual meet versus top 10 Lawrence North. Once school is back in January, the second half of the season seems to become a little easier with duals against Tipton, Eastern Hancock and Corydon Central, which will help allow some confi-dence to build

in the team.Sophomore Noah Perdue

(13-3), who will be compet-ing for a state appearance this year, believes the team is close to reaching its potential. “Only time will tell if the wrestlers will match the hype, but so far so good.”

The Tech Titan Varsity Boys Basketball team performed like champions Fri. Dec 9. The Titans (3-2) led by 12 points early in the third quarter but found themselves trailing 58-53 after Irish point guard Mo Evans weaved through the defense for a layup with just 60 seconds left.Leo Williams hit two free

throws for Tech, and Trey Lyles came up with a steal at midcourt, and with 37 seconds left, Williams found teammate Robert Evans on the baseline. Evans hit a layup and was fouled, but he missed the free throw, leaving the Titans trailing 58-57 with

37 seconds left.Evans missed a free throw

with 17 seconds to go, and after one shot was deflected out of bounds, Lyles took an inbounds pass with five sec-onds left and made a move to the basket on the left base-line. Hartman was called for the block before Lyles could shoot, and the 6-10 sopho-more calmly drained both free throws.

“He went up to the line with 2.9 seconds left and had ice in his veins,” said Coach Jason Delaney.

After Collin Hartman missed a desperation shot, the loyal Titan fans rushed the floor

to celebrate the victory over Cathedral for the first time in 13 years.

The Titans plan to continue the streak this Friday at Wash-ington: JV will tipoff at 6 p.m., with the varsity at 7:30 p.m.

Lady Titans stress unity“Team unity is very important to me as a person and it is also very important when I apply it to my team. Before we practice and before games we study and eat together. The two teams cheer for each other while the other is playing. We always have a meet-

ing about some-thing just to catch upon things and see what’s going on. Everyone always tries to be there for each other with all the things we do. When you don’t have team unity, the team doesn’t play well together or win together. No team

unity and that will be the consequence of it.” Those were the words of the Lady Ti-tans basketball team. The Lady Titans are all about loyalty this season. They have dinner together, team meetings and more importantly they’re unified on the basketball court.

TOP TITANS

Support Your Team Over Break

Tech defeats state-ranked Irish

If the NFL playoffs were to start today, these would be the top four teams that would make it in the AFC and the NFC:

AFC:No. 1 seed: New England PatriotsNo. 2 seed: Balti-more Ravens

The New England Patriots are the top-ranked team in the AFC and if the playoffs were to start today, they would have the first-round bye. But their defense is not consistent, as they only beat the winless Colts by a touch-down.

The Baltimore Ravens are an all-around team as they can put up points and their defense can control a game. If the Ravens can pick up their game in the playoffs, they can easily cruise their way to Indianapolis.

NFCNo. 1 seed: Green Bay PackersNo. 2 seed: San Francisco 49ers

The Green Bay Packers are the most dominant team in the league with the most dominant quarterback in Aaron Rogers, who is on the brink of a record-breaking year. The Packers’ franchise is filled with lots of history, they are on a brink of completing a undefeated season and retaining their championship in Indy.The San Francisco 49ers were the team of the 90s and now the young franchise is making a statement in the 21st century. The 49ers are looking to return to their glory days behind their amazing defense and smash-mouth offense.

LOCKOUT IS OVER

JOE SEXONLed Arsenal Tech to a runner-up finish in the State Basketball Tourney in 1952 and won the Trester Award for Mental Attitude.He earned 13 varsity letters in basketball, foot-ball, baseball and track. At Purdue he was a 3-year starter, team captain and All-Big Ten star on the basketball and baseball teams. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1956 but chose to enter the high school teaching and basketball coaching ranks and returned to Pur-due as an assistant. While coaching the Butler Bulldogs, he won one conference title and was twice named conference coach of the year.His jersey #34 was retired at Arsenal Tech on Nov. 23 and will not be worn again after this year.

BEN HARLANFour-time letterman in Tennis Captain for all four years Undefeated in singles and double all four yearsHis team was conference tennis champions in 1954Was voted All-Conference in 1954.Won several city and state tourna-ments in singles, doubles and co-ed dou-bles.

WRESTLINGDEC. 17 CITY AT TECH

DEC. 28 GREENWOOD HOLI-DAY INVITE

JAN. 1 VS. LN AT HOME

JAN. 10 VS. TIPTON AT HOME

GIRLS BASKETBALL

DEC. 21 at BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

DEC. 27-28 NC HOLIDAY TOURNEY

JAN. 4 AT NORTHWEST

BOYS BASKETBALLDEC. 23 IPSAC AT MARSHALL

JAN. 4 AT DECATUR CENTRAL

JAN. 7 AT BEN DAVIS

JAN. 13 AT NORTHWEST

By Vivian Bell

6

Trey Lyles eyes the rim before sinking two free throws to defeat the No. 3-ranked Cathedral Irish Dec. 9. Fans and players alike stormed the court after the victory and con-tinued the celebration in the locker room.

Photos by Daiyawn Smith

By DajuanVenerable

By Dajuan Venerable